Friday, October 11, 2013

STEWED OCTOPUS

Polpi in Umido

Italian-style Octopus Simmered in Wine and Tomatoes

This is a recipe for Southern Italian-style stewed octopus with white wine and tomatoes. The dish originated in Puglia, near the heel of Italy's boot. Octopus requires long, slow simmering, so keep your temperature low and give yourself plenty of time. This dish is at its best when you can get octopus fresh from the sea at a local fishmonger Serve with crusty bread or linguine. This recipe serves 4 as an appetizer or a light main course.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

•1 lb octopus, either small or large

•4 T. olive oil

•4 cloves finely chopped garlic

•1 cup crushed tomatoes or peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes

•1 cup white wine

•2 T. honey or sugar

•1 t. chopped fresh oregano or thyme

•4 T. chopped fresh parsley

•1 t. chile flakes

•2 T. capers (optional)

•Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Toss the octopus into the boiling water, return to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove. Discard water.

Skin the octopus, remove the beak and the ink sac, then cut into large pieces and saute in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute or two.

Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and let it cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chile flakes and bring to a simmer.

Add about a teaspoon of salt and the honey or sugar. Mix well, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

At 30 minutes, add the capers if you are using them, plus the oregano or thyme and half the parsley. Check the octopus ––– smaller ones will be tender in just 30 minutes.

Octopus can be very stubborn and uncooperative, so if they are still super-chewy, cover the pot again, and simmer for up to another 45 minutes.

When you think you are about 10 minutes away from being done, uncover the pot and turn the heat up a little to cook down the sauce.

To serve, add the remaining oregano or thyme, parsley and black pepper. Serve either hot or at room temperature with pasta, bread, and a green salad dressed olive oil, lemon juice and a hint of Dijon mustard. Homemade granita di cafe makes a lovely finish to the meal.

25 comments:

Where to start? Great blog I think that you have been very charitable and restrained with your stab at the Progressives and the recipe for (O)CT(O)PUS Stew. I agree that the Skinning and Boiling part us most important. The difference between the old-style (Your Father’s) Liberal or Democrats and the Modern liberal’s is simply explained with one word. Progressivism. It's a philosophy, if you can call it that, which appeals to the stupid and the lazy, which the country has unfortunately become filled with, because of the entitlements and the give always of the Liberal party. Obamacare is blatantly unconstitutional, and must be stopped. We are currently 16 Trillion in debt but that is nothing compared to the future debt in store for this country if we continue on this path.

Yes, the libtards are out of control. Thank you FT for showing us what disgusting creeps they are. Obummer should be thrown out of office after this outrage. He's shown himself to be someone willing to hurt America if he gets his way.

Thank you for your subtle, and clever way of calling a spade, a spade!

I personally dislike Obama mainly because he is deliberately turning a great nation into a third-rate welfare state, and because of his contempt for the constitution, and particularly the 4th Amendment.

You've got to start with the right octopus. Those that have marinated in their own sanctimony for decades can be quite bitter.

Further, the ones from the waters off the shores of Left Blogistan can be downright nasty. They put up quite a fight, biting and scratching like a disturbed house cat, obfuscating the scene with their foul ink. The miasma they create masks their key weakness: They have no intellectual core, so they've filled it up with doctrinaire leftwing propaganda and packed it so tightly it is impenetrable, impervious to facts, logic and reason.

Alas, even if you emerge victorious, you find the battle was not worth it. There is no substance there.

So you throw the pitiful creature back, to be consoled by the other creatures, who pat one another on the backs and congratulate one another on how intelligent and high-minded they are, as they studiously ignore any argument or bit of information that could disturb the silt and becloud their undersea fantasy world.

Free Thinke, this time you nailed it. I guess that I expected to much, but a leopard can't change its spots, and a liberal can never have a civil discussion, it’s in their character. The Progressive nut jobs have shown that they're willing to destroy the country before they would let a policy that is UN-wanted and has shown to be wrong for America be over-turned, because it has Obama’s name on it. Just like they'd never let a effective and successful Republican become the President of the United States. They would rather support a shut down and have Americans shut out of their own Countries treasures. This is what is in the the heart of every one of these Left-wing, racist, mental cases. Just Yesterday, I had the misfortune of attempting to debate this Eight Legged Fish.What a crock of crap these people use to defend their Racist Clown, otherwise know as their Messiah! Obama is the worst president that this country has ever has the misfortune of having. There are a number of conservatives here in the blogisphere whom I have a GOOD relationship with some Liberals, but these Progressives are another Animal. This idiot eight legged fish is one of them. .I got news for you dummies who blame Republicans for no matter what your ideological differences are beyond reasoning And in my eyes your opinion is nothing more than diarrhea, bubonic plague, and impotence.My apologies if I hurt your feelings. Now grab YOUR teddy bear and say goodBYE.You can disagree with my politics, but don't get nasty and start with the stupid and childish name calling. Or is that just your way and style for getting you way in a debate!I find the Liberal blogs as a whole to be hypocritical, arrogant, self-righteous, and, worst of all, destructive of those around them. It seems as if they are willing to dictate to everyone else, but laws,rules and regulations, do not apply to them!

Thank you for adding a great new word to my ever-expanding vocabulary, BB. I love it.

If you live in Idaho, I doubt you've had much access to fresh caught shellfish from either coast, but I can assure you, if you like the taste of shrimp and clams and the like, you would love this dish.

I beg pardon for my off topic comment, but George will has written another brilliant commentary demonstrating how the American left twists and distorts reality to suit their own narrow ideological purposes:

If we lived near one another, I could do it, myself, providing the fresh squid is available.

I haven't done it in years and years largely BECAUSE the right ingredients cannot be found where I live now.

Using frozen -- or God help us! -- CANNED squid would be a complete waste of effort.

One of my major points in posting this was to show the great LOVE and CARE people used to bestow on one another with homemade specialties served at family gatherings.

I have prepared a follow up article giving my grandmother's recipe for stuffed calamari in the context of a family memoir. I hope it proves to be entertaining -- and evocative of better times.

There is SO much GOOD we could learn from studying our not so distant past. It's all there ready to be reclaimed and revived. All it would take would be the desire and the will to recreate a vanishing way of life.

Interesting and zesty post! I could say tangy too! I like the change up, but I have to honest, I do not like eating Octopus. Never did. I have been a picky eater since a child, but I LOVE LOBSTER and will be happy to try any new recipes for that when and if you share one! :)

I have been banned two times, under 2 different identities, by this “eight legged creature”, who has no problem at all calling people all kinds of insulting names, but gets her panties in a was when the reverse happens, typical of the left handed Octopi. Bottom line: Left handed Octopi are very chewy and unpleasant every way you can imagine. Proof positive that Loony Liberals are Deranged Democrats.

Be it Chimps, Squirrels, Pigs, Toads, Mice, Goats, or Octopuses they belong in a Cage, not on my Plate. Find a liberal cause and you’ll probably find OCTOPUS right there behind it. The Progressive Socialist tyrants who have conservative terrorists in their cross hairs for several years now, are relentless and ruthless radicals and will never give it up. In their sick minds American freedom is terrorism in their sick ideology. The Second Amendment is our lone fortress against this onslaught. We are up to our eyeballs in a cultural civil war with this bunch of communionists in power. And the koolaide drinking followers are a bunch of sicko’s who can’t see the forest through the trees. Soes anyone remember Obama’s Campaign when he campaigned in Black neighborhoods, says “Blacks for Obama”? Imagine what the reaction would be any of the Republican candidates launched a ‘Whites for Romney’, ‘Whites for Santorum’ or ‘Whites for Gingrich’ campaign. There would be non-stop uproar. But Obama does the equivalent and gets a free pass.I thought race didn’t matter Mr. President?

It's so amusing to see how peoples' minds work! Here I make a post about FOOD -- and present a remarkably good recipe for an exotic dish that is absolutely scrumptious, and most STILL want to rage on about political enemies, noisome behavior in others, and stuff none of can control.

Yes, I admit there was a subtly humorous aspect to posting on this PARTICULAR kind of food, but I much prefer to temper my irritation with gentle satire coupled with something constructive.

There will be another article about squid tomorrow -- a cephalopod who is the octopus's first cousin. This time the emphasis will be entirely on food and a pleasant memoir of family life as it was fifty-five or sixty years ago.

Think of lovely thingsAnd your heart will fly on wingsWherever place you really want to go.

Concentrate on painYou soon will grow insaneAnd woe will be the only thing you know.

"It's so amusing to see how peoples' minds work! Here I make a post about FOOD -- and present a remarkably good recipe for an exotic dish that is absolutely scrumptious, and most STILL want to rage on about political enemies, noisome behavior in others, and stuff none of can control." (Free Thinke, 2013)

This was a great post. Even though I won't eat octopus it was still engaging. I might even use lobster to creat this same dish, that is like I said if you have a dish for lobster?

There are will always be opposition and we must rise above it. The problem is that you are just too smart and many are jealous of you. Anyone could write a post, or a recipe, but with your style and je ne sais quoi? I should say not.

Be proud sir that you out wit scoundrels and trolls and even some of the best bloggers. What a waste it is not to see brilliance and learn from it and engage in it. Sad people must insult and belittle.

You are just too good for them and they know it Free Thinke, believe me, they know it! I know it as well as I know when I come here I will learn something new from you every day and I love to learn, especially from my elders. They should have more respect but what can I say except please do not feel bad. :)

Gratuitous Displays of Extraneous Knowledge Offered Not To Shed Light Or Enhance the Discussion, But For The Primary Purpose Of Giving An Impression Of Superiority are obnoxiously SELF-AGGRANDIZING, and therefore, Subject to Removal at the Discretion of the Censor-in-Residence.